Fragile Beginnings
by Romulus08
Summary: Who created him? Why was he created? And what lies in his mysterious past? A tale of Crow's creation and his experience in a world that despises his existance.
1. Prologue

Well, here goes my first fanfic! Please be sure to review and let me know if this is something you would like me to continue. Enjoy!

AN: Revised a couple sentences and replaced some words.

* * *

**~Prologue~**

Not even the roaring cascades of the dam could rival the boisterous protesting occurring outside the lab facility. The shabby fences that surrounded the property offered minimal protection against the irate horde surging forward in angry waves. The professor found himself flinching with every pound the mob made as he cautiously made his way to the president'soffice. As beautiful and ambitious as the president was, he always had a feeling that she was hiding something sinister behind her cloudy, grey eyes. He suspected she was the sort of person who would sell her own mother if it meant she could take the company to greater heights. Of course he kept these thoughts to himself; he didn't want to mysteriously wind up as part of her next science project.

After contemplating the wisdom of answering the president's call to her office, the professor resigned himself to taking his chances. He curled his sweaty hands and timidly rapped his knuckles against the foreboding door of oak.

"Come in," a smooth, velvet voice echoed. The professor silently prayed that it wasn't really a viper lying in wait on the other side. He creaked open the door and breathed a very audible sigh of relief when he discovered that the source of the bewitching voice belonged to a woman. She stood near the large window of her office with the blinds wide open. Her lips curved into an amused, almost devilish smile. The professor stood quietly as she continued to observe through her window before finally turning to address him.

"Professor, I'm pleased to see you wasted no time in getting here." Her words slithered through the air and wrapped around the professor, constricting his confidence.

"Y-yes, Ma'am," he stuttered, inwardly pleading that she not turn him into a science experiment.

"You see, Professor, I have a very, _very_ important job for you. You've proven yourself more than capable of carrying out what I'm about to ask you." The professor couldn't help gulping. "This job is extremely classified. If so much as one whisper gets into the public, I will personally make sure you 'disappear'." Her comment caused a shudder to snake through his nerve-wracked body. "But that _won't_ happen, right, Professor?"

"N-no, Ms. President."

"Good to hear. Because this," she gestured toward the window, "is what you'll be up against." The professor slowly crept toward the window. He already knew what was out there because he'd been hearing it all day. He wasn't so sure he wanted to actually see it though.

The crowd was much larger than he had anticipated. The massive group stretched across half the dam's bridge, passionately waving signs and banners of protest. One sign read "Stop trying to be gods" while another said "You're going to kill humanity" in bright red ink. A drop of sweat dripped down the professor's neck sending involuntary chills throughout his body. There was no way he could allow the details of the assignment slip. The issue was so controversial that anyone involved would be crushed, squashed, disemboweled, and thrown into a ditch full of worms.

"Do you accept this task? I can assure you that you will be handsomely rewarded for your efforts." A sly smile fell across her lips. The professor felt he had to accept the assignment. He was in desperate need of money. Even with the president's threat hanging over his head, he had to take the chance. With a poorly concealed, shaky voice he answered.

"What is it that you want me to do?" The president's smile curved into a serpentine grin. He could have sworn he saw a forked tongue flicker behind her teeth and he instantly regretted agreeing to her scheme.


	2. Chapter 1

**A thousand apologies to you guys! I honestly did not think it would take this long to get the next chapter up. My editor friend has been completely swampped with work recently. I finally decided that I've kept you waiting long enough. **

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Enjoy!**

**~Chapter One~**

"Watch that wire, boy. If you-"

"Ouch! Ah, man that burns!" The young engineer shook his hand wildly as if fanning it would make the burning sensation leap off his fingers.

A gruff voice chided the engineer, "I told you to wear gloves. That's what you get, Norman."

"I know, Professor," the young man whined, "but it's too hard to work with gloves. They always get in the way." Norman trailed off under his breath. The older man sighed and shook his head at the younger.

The professor still hadn't made up his mind about Norman, the young American college graduate that worked as his assistant. Norman had been recruited by the president five years ago for the same secret assignment that the professor himself had already been a part of for three years. Norman had showed no hesitation; he was a student fresh out of college full of determination and vision. Considered a genius by his peers and highly regarded by his teachers, Norman had proved himself worthy of this particular experiment when word of his engineering prowess went global. His work with Personal Frames created a major breakthrough for Artificial Intelligence. During his college years, he had collaborated with a group of other engineers to create an interactive portable assistant with advanced AI. After much hard work and innumerable days fueled by coffee, a shrewd but functional PF was created. Despite its lack of aesthetics, the radio-like PF was able to assess a situation and suggest the best course of action. Norman was snatched up by the president immediately after his graduation while the manufacturing of Personal Frames was left to another company.

On the other hand though, Norman was young and prone to episodes of carelessness. It didn't help that he was terribly clumsy on top of it all. The professor had lost count of the times his heart had stopped because of Norman's accidents. There was no way the professor would lose seven years worth of research and work, especially not to Norman and his coffee.

Shaking thoughts of spilt coffee from his head, the professor turned back to his work at the table full of labeled petri dishes, test tubes, a microscope, and some other equipment designed for work with cells. He lifted one of the dishes labeled "_dermis_," and scrutinized the cells growing inside. They seemed to be reproducing without any flaws. Of course he would have to verify that through a microscope, but with almost one hundred other cells to check it would have to wait.

He was in the process of setting down the "_dermis_" dish and proceeding to pick up another when he heard a distinctive sizzling sound followed by a heart-stopping pop.

"Oops," Norman muttered to himself. The professor's eye twitched while he clenched and unclenched his fists. He addressed his assistant without bothering to look at him.

"Norman," his voice was tense and restrained, holding back a yell. "What was that popping sound?"

"Just a fuse on the motherboard, sir," Norman replied casually, his fingers already busy with replacing the blown fuse and repairing the damage on the green circuitry. The nonchalant tone in Norman's voice eased the professor a little. Norman was a genius; he could fix practically anything. However, that didn't stop the professor from feeling a little agitated.

The professor exhaled slowly before speaking to the young man. His voice shook with the stress on his nerves. "Norman, I've been working on this project for eight years. If I lose this," he paused briefly, deciding how to phrase the rest of his thoughts, "Losing it isn't an option. Just please try to be more careful."

He wiped his hand over his face. "I'm going to take a break. Why don't you go through all that mail over there until I get back? And don't even think about working on the doll. I won't want anything blowing up while I'm away." The professor trudged over to the door, opened it slowly, and left without another word.

Norman brushed the strands of red hair away from his face and let out a deep breath. His hands were sweaty from all the tool work. He wiped his hands across the front of his lab coat before shuffling over to the absent professor's desk. A stack of envelopes sat meticulously on one corner with a phone sitting on the opposite. Norman pulled the chair out from under the desk with an exasperated look plastered onto his freckled face. He began sorting through the letters; junk mail, bills, a note from the president (which earned an involuntary shiver), coupons, and more junk mail.

Norman slogged through the pile until he came to a manila envelope with his name messily scrawled in the center. His face lit up as he excitedly tore into the package and expectantly held his hand open underneath. A small computer chip tumbled out of the bubble-wrap lined envelope and landed in his hand. Norman gazed at it in revelry and began turning out of the chair to install it, completely forgetting the professor's warning about not working on the doll.

Sudden ringing from the white office phone stopped Norman in his tracks. Disappointed, Norman set down the chip with a soft grumble and slunk to the phone. He picked up the receiver and answered with a monotonous hello.

A lady's confused voice echoed on the other end. Norman slapped his forehead having failed to remember that he was in Tokyo and not his hometown in Berkeley.

"Sumimasen. Konnichi wa," he corrected. Norman listened to the woman ask him about a flower arrangement that had been ordered from the lab's phone. The flowers were ready, she told him, but they had lost the paperwork for which grave they were supposed to be planted in front of. He thought that she had called the wrong number and tried to convince her that neither he nor the professor had any need for flowers, especially at a cemetery. Her insistence almost forced Norman to hang up the phone when the door creaked open and the professor walked in.

"What are you doing, boy?" The professor muttered in a hushed tone. Norman pulled the receiver away from his mouth and quickly explained the predicament. He was surprised to see the professor freeze up before snatching the phone from his hand and hastily completing the call. The professor ended with an abrupt arigatou and shoved the receiver back into Norman's hands. Norman warily hung up the phone while watching the professor at the same time.

"Professor, why do you need flowers?" Norman almost cringed at the look he received from the older man. He didn't realize that he had basically crashed through the professor's emotional wall and into a very touchy subject without any warning. The professor continued glaring at Norman until he realized that he couldn't blame the boy. Norman's job did include answering phone calls. It wasn't his fault that the florist just happened to call. The professor replaced his glower with a frown, deciding that after five years of collaboration, his assistant deserved an answer.

"They were for my son." The professor spoke hardly above a whisper.

"Do you mean?" Norman's trailing voice suddenly took on a solemn quality. The professor nodded. When Norman looked up at him, it seemed like the professor had aged significantly. His eyes were dark and his scowl had tightened.

"The money was going towards research and therapy. He didn't make it." The professor's voice was stony and grim, almost monotonous like a robot. "I lost my wife during his birth and raised him by myself. After his death, I had no other family to take care of. Everyone that I have ever known has slipped through my fingers like water. I couldn't hold on to them. This project is all I have left. Once it's over with, I don't plan on sticking around."

"Professor! You don't really mean that, do you?" Norman's raised voice betrayed his worry; the professor's grave face confirmed it. "Is that why you don't get attached to anyone? Because you're afraid of losing them?" The older man's dark eyes darted away from Norman's desperate ones. "That explains why you've never told me your name. Aside from me, you don't talk to anyone. You're trying to cut everything off," Norman mumbled gloomily. "You don't want to leave anyone behind," he said in a whisper. The professor never heard Norman's lament.

"Get back to work, Norman. We need to finish this." The professor turned his back on Norman and brought his hand up to his clammy forehead. He hadn't really intended to tell Norman that much, but the feelings he'd held bottled up for all those years rushed out the moment he lifted the lid.

Norman reluctantly nodded his head and hovered over the skeletal frame of the near-completed doll. He scanned it from head to toe, chin in his hand and deep in thought. His foot started tapping rhythmically against the tile floor. Glancing at the chip that he abandoned on the desk, he let out a long sigh and grabbed it.

"I'll be back in a little while, Professor. I need to upload some files to this," he said as he waved the chip. Norman stepped through the lab door, but not without a backward glance towards the professor. He sighed again before shutting the door behind him.

As soon as Norman was through the door, the professor completely broke down. The memory of his dear, deceased son was too much for him to handle. Tears rolled down his once stony face and his shoulders shuddered with each cry.

His erratic sobs and sorrowful moans fell on the deaf ears of the doll, whose lifeless and dull form reminded him of an emaciated corpse, like his young son ravaged by disease.

Norman impatiently flung his arms over the top of his chair with his chin nestled between them. A loud groan escaped his lips. The large, cavernous room known as the incubation wing did nothing to ease his dreariness. He'd been staring at the same glass chamber for hours. The professor stood to his right, busy studying the monitors while wondering when Norman would finally surrender to the boredom.

The young assistant scanned the room for what seemed like the twentieth time. The walls were constructed mostly with glass panels; however nothing of the outside could be seen. Instead a strange red glow emanated from behind the glass walls. Wires and tubes were scattered haphazardly along the floor and human-sized capsules lined the room.

Norman's gaze returned to the central capsule with the doll hanging inside. An assortment of tubes ran from the skeletal frame to the top of the capsule, all varying in size. The door remained open as the professor would go back and forth from adjusting the doll to typing on the computer. Norman stared at the doll, proud of his creation but slightly disappointed with the image of it hanging from the gallows like some sort of criminal.

"It's not going to jump out and do tricks, Norman," the professor said dryly. "I told you it'd be boring down here."

"Yeah, yeah," Norman scoffed. "How long is this going to take?"

"As soon as all the mechanics have stabilized, it'll have to incubate in the chamber for several months. The cells need a chance to grow and fuse with the doll's skeleton. After that, we start running it through tests and training."

"What will the doll look like? Will it even look human?"

The professor hesitated before answering. "If everything goes according to plan, yes. The process is supposed to mimic human development. There are, of course, some enhanced traits, but everything else is going to be done naturally."

"What kinds of traits?" Norman asked excitedly.

The professor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "With the help of the robotic parts, the doll should have excellent eyesight, power, and intelligence; the likes of which we've never seen in the other prototypes."

Norman nodded his head in amazement. He turned to look at the doll hanging in its glass chamber. Right now, it was nothing but a bare skeleton. It was hard to imagine that some day soon it would take on a "living" human form, instead of the corpse it had been.

"It's hard to believe that in only a few months it'll look no different from any other normal human being," Norman announced to himself. "I wonder what it'll look like."

The professor looked over at Norman with a small smirk on his wrinkled face; the only sign of a smile Norman had ever seen on the older man. "You know, don't you?" Norman accused.

"You'll have to wait and see." Norman's face immediately fell into a pout. The professor loved spoiling Norman's fun. The thought of the young man being tortured by his wild imagination brought him a small measure of amusement.

Then the pout suddenly disappeared as questions began to surge out of Norman's mouth and flood the professor's thoughts. "Is it going to be male or female? How old will it look? When will it be able to talk? Will it-"

"Norman," the irritated professor scolded. "Wait and see. If you had been paying attention to anything I've been telling you over the last five years, you would know. Now as punishment for ignoring me you will have to wait." The monitor beeped resolutely as if agreeing with the professor. Without acknowledging Norman's sour face and protests, he hit a few keys on the keyboard. The glass door to the capsule proceeded to close and lock, prohibiting anyone from getting inside. A hiss erupted from underneath the capsule and a viscous, lavender fluid spilled into the chamber and filled it up completely.

"What's that for?" Norman asked.

"It serves as a nutrient, giving the cells the food they need to grow," the professor stated while gathering up all the materials he had brought with him. "We have a lot of observing and reporting to do until the doll is ready."

"How long will that take?"

"About nine months." The professor struggled to hide a smirk when Norman stopped in his tracks, mouth hung open in disbelief. "Better get moving. We don't want to keep the president waiting."


	3. Chapter 2

**~Chapter 2~**

_July 28_

_The nine month waiting period is finally over. The growth of the doll has proceeded as planned without any complications. Today the doll is to be activated and start basic tests immediately. If everything goes smoothly, the doll will be ready for presentation in two years. If the doll shows any signs of malfunction it will be terminated immediately. _

_My assistant and I will be the only ones in contact with the doll until it is deemed successful. We take full responsibility for the results of this project. _

The professor laid down his pen and closed his log book just as Norman burst through his office door, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"Today's the day, Professor! I get to go with you this time, right? I haven't seen the doll since the first day we put it in the incubation wing. Please let me come! Please!"

"Stop acting like a child, Norman," he chided, grabbing a clipboard with an assortment of papers. On his way out the door he motioned Norman with a half-hearted wave to follow, hoping he wouldn't regret letting the hyperactive youth accompany him. Norman's smile grew as he turned to follow the older man to the incubation wing, located far beneath the facility.

They passed through door after door, security becoming much stricter with each passing. Cameras became much more common and lurked around the dark corners. Security bots patrolled the last few hallways of their long downward journey, only stopping to verify the pair's identities. Norman had a tendency to shirk from the bots; their ability to impale invalid personnelwas not a rumor he felt like confirming.

It wasn't until the professor unlocked the final set of double doors that Norman allowed himself to breathe again. They stepped into the dark room with only the eerie glowing red walls providing light, if it could be called that. With a few strokes on the door's keypad, the professor lit up a small path to the blinking monitor in the center of the room.

"Why aren't you lighting up the whole room like last time? I can barely see."

"I don't want the doll to be overstimulated. Better to let it adjust to its senses slowly."

Norman let out a hushed grumble, agitated that he wouldn't be able to see the doll just yet. He reluctantly followed the professor to the center of the room where the older man was able to log on to the computer and begin "activating" the doll.

White lights around the base of the capsule lit up and cast a soft glow on the doll floating inside. Norman and the professor gazed up into the lone capsule at a loss for words.

Inside the transparent, lavender fluid, curled up like a sleeping baby, was a very human-looking doll. The light coming from the floor made its pale skin glow, creating a very ethereal atmosphere. Strands of raven black hair flowed around its head, creating a dark, wispy crown. Long lashes decorated the doll's soft face. Its nose was small and pointed, but the professor found its mouth to be the most intriguing feature. Even in sleep, its lips seemed to curl into a subtle, yet mischievous grin. He dismissed the thought. How could a mere doll have a personality?

A vacuum interrupted the duo's thoughts with an obnoxiously loud gurgle and began disposing of the viscous liquid surrounding the doll. As it was draining, muted hisses could be heard while the tubes connected to the doll began to detach themselves and float uselessly around it. With each passing second the suspended figure began sinking further to the floor until its frail body landed with its feet curled underneath and its back against the glass. The doll's head slumped forward, hair clinging to its delicate face.

"Norman, get some towels from the cabinet. Grab a hospital gown while you're at it," the professor commanded. Norman nodded and proceeded to procure the wanted contents from the cabinet, barely taking his eyes off of the sleeping form inside the capsule. The professor turned his head to the side to read the monitor. A lone box in a field of blue read: PROCEED? His hand drifted to the enter key. It hovered there for a minute, as if afraid to press the key.

This was the moment, the professor realized. It all came down to whether or not the doll even gained consciousness. Almost nine years of relentless, laborious, and tedious work boiled down to this event. The professor whispered a small prayer, images of his wife and son flashing in front of him.

Holding his breath, the professor gently pushed the key down. The locks on the capsule's door unlatched and the door swung open silently. Norman eagerly stepped toward the doll, but was stopped by the professor's hand.

"Wait. Don't touch it. I have to make sure it's safe." Norman was slightly surprised by the professor's actions. Normally the older man wouldn't have cared if he got hurt. It was then that Norman realized the gravity of the situation. They had created a superhuman being. If it went out of control…He shook the thoughts from his head and concentrated on the professor who was slowly inching toward the doll.

The professor's heart was pounding inside his chest and sweat dripped from his brow. Both nervousness and stress were taking their toll on the older scientist. Once at the foot of the capsule he crouched, bringing himself to the doll's eye level. He tentatively stretched out a hand and placed it on the doll's cold shoulder. A moment later, its lids slowly began to open.

Silver-gray eyes stared at the professor lifelessly.

A monotonous voice emitted from the doll. "Power levels at one-hundred percent. System functional. Engage."

The professor quickly gathered his thoughts. "State identification number."

"My identification number is H0053348."

"H0053348 initiate hibernation mode. Acknowledge."

"Initiating hibernation." Without another sound, the doll closed its eyes and went back into its slumber.

"Norman, bring me the towels, help me dry it off." The young assistant approached cautiously, double-checking the doll before handing the professor a stack of towels. The two of them began to rid it of the lavender substance coating its skin.

"It's a boy," Norman sputtered.

"I wonder what gave you that idea." The professor rolled his eyes.

"Well, aside from the obvious. But he looked so…beautiful. I thought there was no way it could be a male."

"Hn," was all Norman got in reply.

The professor slipped the hospital gown over the doll's head as soon as he and Norman had finished drying him off. Then Norman located a bed at the other end of the hallway and brought it back to the wing in order to transport the doll to a new room. Both were silent during the procedure, preferring to think to themselves about what had just occurred. The doll, of course, also remained silent as he was relocated to a dim room designed for observation.

The professor spent his time hooking the doll up to monitors and machines that would keep track of his progress. Norman kept himself busy by filling out important documents. When everything was finished, the professor decided the doll should at least have its fine motor skills tested before calling it a day.

"H0053348, disengage hibernation."

"Hibernation disengaged," the monotonous voice echoed. He was greeted by the same silver- grey eyes. The professor went down the list of fine motor skills, checking off each completed item as the doll performed them. Norman watched from across the room, amazed.

After the test was completed, the doll was left under the surveillance of a camera. Before leaving, the professor pulled a small book from his lab coat.

"H0053348, read this book completely and store the information in your databank, then enter hibernation mode. We will commence further tests tomorrow. "

"Acknowledged." The doll took the book – a small child's dictionary-from the professor's hands and began to read. The professor motioned toward the still astonished Norman to leave the room. He locked the door once outside and the pair made their way back to their offices.

"He's a lot younger looking than I thought he would be," Norman mused.

"Hn," was once again the reply Norman received. They were making their way up the stairs when a sudden crash made both freeze. They looked at each other, neither one worried about hiding his fear. The crash had come from the doll's room.

The duo raced to the room, the professor trying to stay calm enough to unlock the door. As the huge metal door swung open, both gasped at what they saw inside.


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm going to be totally surprised if I still have readers. I can't believe it took this long to get chapter three up. I don't know what it was (besides college _) that made this so hard to write. If you guys are still out there (which I really hope you are) please enjoy this next chapter!**

**Also, I made a very minor edit to chapter two. The doll will be referred to as H003348 instead of 000, based on something I found in the game that I didn't see my first time around. That's all I changed, for the sake of staying as true to the game as possible. :D**

**~Chapter 3~**

"What a mess," the Professor choked out as he walked into the room.

"That's an understatement," whispered Norman behind the older man. He stepped cautiously over the fallen monitor, glancing around at the rest of the room. Most of the supplies on the counter had been knocked over and were now rolling around on the tile floor. Norman looked up at the ceiling and saw cords snaking out of the panels where the security camera should have been. He found it sitting in the sink, lens shattered and smashed to pieces.

Meanwhile, the Professor was searching for the doll who was conspicuously absent from his bed. He thought the black-haired boy had simply rolled off of it. The professor tiptoed around the room to avoid the glass fragments decorating the floor and leaned over the bed to look on the other side. Panic struck him when the doll was nowhere to be found.

"Norman! Shut and lock the door," he ordered.

"Lock it? But-"

"Quickly, Norman, quickly!" the Professor waved at the door as if the motion would cause the door to close. The red-headed assistant rushed to the metal door, no longer caring about the shattered glass beneath him, slammed it shut, and entered his code. The locking mechanism could be heard sliding into place with a resounding thud. Norman and the Professor stood stock still in the eerily quiet room, silently hoping that the unpredictable doll wouldn't extend them the same courtesy as he did the other equipment.

The pair hardly breathed while their gazes shifted uneasily around the room. A soft rustle caught their attention. It came from behind a gossamer curtain that closed off part of the room. They began to make their way over to their curtain to investigate when another noise made them stop in their tracks. It was the soft scritch-scratching of metal against the wall. The Professor glanced up at Norman who had the same confused look plastered to his face. If the doll was behind the curtain, what was he doing?

"What is going on?" Norman murmured. "Why is he out of bed?"

"Shush, Norman. Not a word of this gets out." The man glared at his assistant, then hesitantly wrapped his fingers around the curtain and gently pulled it open. The dictionary he had given the doll lay at his feet, opened with pages creasing under the weight of the cover. A few feet in front of him sat the doll, scratching away at the wall with what appeared to be a piece of the camera. At the sound of the Professor's footsteps, his head jerked around.

"Professor, his eyes," the assistant pointed a finger at the doll. Beneath his black tresses were not silver-grey eyes, but brilliant green ones, staring back at the pair boldly. His pupils were cat-like and no longer the simple round shape they had been. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. Get back to the observation room and check the tape."

"And leave you here all alone?"

"Now, Norman," the Professor growled. Norman hesitantly left the room, double-checking before he walked out the door.

The Professor kneeled next to the doll who eyed him closely. When the Professor dropped his gaze to the pointy leftovers of the security camera the doll pulled it away defensively.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be in that bed."

"I didn't like it," He said in a snobby tone. The Professor was taken aback. Didn't like it? When did the doll get such an attitude?

"Let's get you back in bed, H0053348, you're not ready to be up and moving yet." He made a move to grab the doll's arm, but he jerked it away.

"That's not my name." The doll looked away from the man and continued scratching at the wall.

"I'm sorry?" The Professor stared incredulously at the doll. "Your name is H0053348-your serial number."

"That's a dumb name," he spat back, never taking his eyes away from the wall.

"What are you doing?" The Professor leaned over the doll's shoulder to get a closer look at what was so important to him. When he saw what it was, he stood up and grabbed the dictionary lying haphazardly against the floor and flipped through its bended pages. He tried a couple entries before he came to the C's. His finger brushed against the pages as it sought out the entry. It landed on a depiction of a black bird. The picture in the dictionary and the one the doll had carved into the wall were almost identical. "Is this what you're drawing?" The Professor kneeled next to the doll again and pointed at the bird. "What's so special about it?"

"I like it," the doll stated matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious. He stood up and rested his hands on his hips, then bent over the Professor arrogantly. "Call me Crow. Like the bird."


	5. Chapter 4

**Yay! It's chapter four! I really appreciate everyone's reviews. I can't tell you how encouraging it is to hear from you all. **

**Oh yeah, here's the disclaimer I've totally failed to put in my last chapters:**

**Fragile Dreams and its characters do not belong to me. There. **

**Anyways, on to the story!**

**~Chapter 4~**

The Professor glared Crow, formerly H0053348. The boy grinned devilishly back at the crouching scientist. Their eyes remained locked until Crow, growing bored with the staring contest, turned to the wall and resumed carving his namesake into the paint. Norman interrupted before the Professor could do anything about the doll.

"Professor, I think you should come watch this," he said excitedly.

"Alright," the Professor stood up and plodded through the door. "Don't forget to lock the door. We can't risk its escape."

"It, sir?"

"The doll." The professor grunted.

"Yes, sir." Norman obeyed and secured the door behind them.

The Professor explained what had occurred between him and the doll while Norman was away as they walked up the stairs. Norman's eyes lit up and he pounded his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"That explains it!" he shouted.

"Explains what, boy?"

"You'll have to watch it first. Come on."

In the surveillance room, a floor above Crow's room, Norman and the Professor sat in front of a myriad of screens. Norman reached over the Professor, hand hovering over a keyboard. He looked at him with a lopsided, boyish smile.

"I'll let you watch it, and then I'll tell you what I think happened," Norman explained. He pushed a key on the keyboard and a video began to play on one of the monitors.

_The camera scanned the room slowly. The Professor could be seen next to Crow handing him the dictionary, and Norman was behind them, tinkering around with the wires on the monitor._

_ Then both men exited the room and everything seemed normal; the doll sitting on the bed flipping through dictionary, taking in all the information. Suddenly, the doll's head twitched and his gaze drifted to the camera. His silver-grey eyes flickered into an emerald green color and a mischievous smile crept onto his face. Then, unexpectedly, he launched himself off of the bed toward the camera. The cables that connected him to the monitor were torn off as it fell over, resulting in the crash that had alarmed the two men earlier. Seconds later, the screen went static as the doll detached the camera from its post in the ceiling._

The Professor sat back in his chair and let out a long, exhausted sigh. He wiped his hands over his face, massaging his temples on the way down.

"Tell me, Norman. What happened?" He asked with his wrinkled eyes still closed and one hand resting on his forehead.

"I think he short-circuited. The current bypassed the correct path and overloaded into another one. Thankfully it didn't fry his circuitry and completely destroy all of your work," Norman stated with a huge grin spread across his face.

"That doesn't explain the way it's acting and the problem with its eyes," the Professor grumbled.

"Actually, it does. The strong current forced an activation of his emotion and personality chips. Those were meant to be activated later so as to make him seem more human, but it was supposed to be after all the other tests were conducted. I'm just happy to hear that they actually work."

"And its eyes?"

"Probably just a physical indication of what happened internally. With a robotic skeleton and an organic body condensed into one form, there are bound to be some unexplainable reactions." Norman stood triumphantly next to the Professor, as if he had just been awarded a prize.

"Norman," the Professor finally spoke up, "you were the one in charge of the robotics and technological inner workings of the doll, yes?"

"Uh, yes, sir," Norman answered, slightly confused as to where the Professor was going.

The Professor's voice became more aggressive. "So you were the one who ultimately decided its personality , correct?"

"That is correct, sir." Norman folded his hands and looked at the floor which suddenly became very interesting.

"Then would you please explain why there is an arrogant, cocky, and disobedient doll carving pictures on the walls instead of one that's more well-behaved? What possessed you to give it such a childish personality?" The older man glowered at Norman, his lips pursed in a tight frown. Annoyed didn't even come close to describing the senior scientist's feelings. "Well?"

Norman gulped. "I wanted to do something different than the other team's prototype. The one they made about five or six years ago? Had a really large body and a tiny head?"

"The Merchant?" The Professor droned.

The young assistant nodded his head. "That's his name. He was just too polite for my tastes. I wanted to see what else dolls were capable of."

"Why go that far, Norman? That's what I don't understand."

"I'll tell you, but don't laugh." The older man cocked his head and glared at Norman. The assistant sighed. "I got the idea from a book I found shortly after I moved here. I thought my little brother would like it. But then I realized once I got home that no one in my family can read Japanese, so I kept it. I was going to give it to H005- I mean Crow- so he'd have something to read."

"Don't call it that."

"What, Crow?"

"Yes." The irritated Professor corrected Norman.

"Why not?"

"You'll get too attached if you give it a name. Remember, it's a doll, not a human."

"But he's supposed to replicate one! How's he going to do that if we keep talking to him like an object?" Norman's voice rose and he struck the arm of the Professor's chair angrily.

The Professor turned his eyes towards Norman's, devoid of any emotion. "Fine. Call it what you will. But don't come crying to me if something happens to it and you have an emotional breakdown." Then he got up from his chair and walked to the doorway, stopping at the door to address Norman one last time. "I'll see you here tomorrow morning. Don't be late, we have more tests to run." And with that he disappeared from the doorway, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. Norman hit the wall with his fist and muttered curses under his breath.

"Why does he have to be like that?"


	6. Chapter 6

I'm still alive! I promise! (Well, by literal definition. I think I've been in mental zombie status for a while.) I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG. College got really overwhelming and then a lot of issues came up (that's life for ya) and I lost my motivation for this story. But then I stumbled upon my writing journal and remembered that I promised I'd finish this story no matter how long it took!

I want to thank each and every one of you for your kind reviews. It was what I really needed to get me back into gear. So finally, after over a year (*cries*) I bring you CHAPTER SIX! It's a little on the short side, but I wanted to leave the ending the way it was so that I could build on it for chapter seven. And you guys have been waiting so patiently and I just couldn't bring myself to make you guys wait another day. I LOVE YOU ALL.

Also, I do not own Fragile Dreams blah-blah-blah let's get on with it.

The following morning and those for months to come started off generally the same for Norman. His excitement for working with Crow had been completely overshadowed by the professor's behavior towards the raven-haired doll. Any interaction with the professor was bound to be short, silent, and tense. It was with frustration that Norman roughly pulled on his lab coat, haphazardly ran his fingers through his dark red locks, and huffed his malcontent on his way downstairs to the basement. It was when the pocket of his coat slapped against his thigh that Norman allowed a small smirk. A flat, square package was firmly nestled in his pocket; a gift to Crow to help him pass the time.

Norman passed through several secured doors and into the eerily lit passageways that he had come to call his second home since taking on his assignment. The security bots still creeped him out; he flinched nearly every time one of them shifted in his direction. The faster he could see Crow, the better.

He had really come to like Crow during the last few months since his "awakening." The doll had become a sort of little brother to him. When left alone Crow would come to Norman with all his questions. And with a gentle smile, the assistant would always answer the curious doll's inquiries.

It seemed like today's visit would be no exception either. Norman saw Crow's face light as the security doors slid open to reveal the taller red-head.

"Norman!" Crow gleefully shouted.

"Hey, Crow. Sleep well?" The doll rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his puffed chest.

"I guess. Kind of a weird question to ask, don't you think?"

"I know," Norman replied as he ruffled the boy's hair with a laugh.

"Norman?" The bright-eyed boy's curious gaze captured Norman's attention. The older man could never get over the startling green the doll's eyes exhibited. It was almost human. If not for the strange feline pupils, Norman thought, he would easily mistake Crow for a typical teenager. "What happens when you- humans- sleep?"

"Well," Norman began, "Sleep is our bodies' way of repairing itself. After an entire day of-."

Crow gently cut him off. "No, I mean, something in your heads. Dreams? I keep looking through my books but I don't get it. Why don't they happen to me?"

For once, the brainy assistant couldn't offer the boy an answer. How does one go about explaining dreams to an artificial human? _Sorry, but computers don't have dreams because you don't have a 'brain' or real 'feelings.' Everything is a fabrication._ Yeah, that would fly over well. "Um," _Very eloquent, Norman._ "Well, it's hard to explain. Sometimes it's for sorting through information, but other times it's just our imaginations."

"What's 'imagination'?" Crow interjected.

Norman nervously cleared his throat. He was _not_ prepared for these kinds of questions. "You know what, I'll get back to you on that one. Have you seen the professor yet?"

"That old geezer? Nah." Norman gave Crow a stern look.

"Don't talk about him like that." Crow just ignored Norman's chastisement and proceeded to stare at the opposite wall; his quivering green eyes were the only movements he made. "You two had another argument, didn't you?" The boy puffed out his cheeks and mumbled a quiet 'no.' "Well, what happened then? You're acting moody."

Crow glanced sideways at Norman and pouted. He hurriedly murmured under his breath as if he were embarrassed.

"I-I," he stuttered, "I zoned out yesterday with the professor during training." Norman could only offer an apologetic look. 'Zoning out' was a term the team had coined since the first incident occurred. For reasons that Norman had yet to confirm (he suspected it had to do with high levels of stress), Crow would revert back to how he was before he short circuited. His green eyes would fade back into the silver-gray they had once been and his boyish personality receded into a robotic one.

"What were you doing before it happened?"

"Stupid professor was trying to pull some circus stunt with me. Had me flipping around the room like a monkey. At least, I was trying to." Crow rested his head on his knees and sighed. "I couldn't time my flip right so I kept falling over. Every time he just shook his head at me. Like I was some broken toy."

Norman thumped his finger across the gloomy boy's forehead. "Don't talk like that-it's not like you."

Crow glared back ferociously. "I can't stand him! I'm doing my best but I guess it's not good enough. And he keeps calling me that stupid name. It pisses me off!" Norman watched worriedly as Crow worked himself up. Suddenly, the doll's gaze dropped and his eyes flickered to gray. Sighing, Norman laid him back down on the bed. He gripped the bridge of his nose in frustration. Crow only managed to zone out when it concerned the Professor. It was like the poor boy couldn't handle the stress.

Only a few minutes passed before Crow returned to normal. He looked at Norman sadly. The older man simply clasped his hand over Crow's shoulder and smiled. Crow couldn't return the gesture. Sensing the boy's perpetual gloominess, Norman decided Crow needed his gift.

"I think the Professor is rubbing off on you. How about a gift to keep your mind off of him?" He couldn't help but chuckle when Crow's face unabashedly revealed its boyishness.

"Another book?"

"You guessed it! You really like reading, huh?"

Crow beamed. "Well, duh. And some day, I'm gonna have a room full of books. There'll be so many, they'll cover the floor!"

"No doubt! Here." the assistant slipped his hand into the oversized pocket of his white lab coat and out slid a simple picture book. "It's called 'Pirate Isle.' The pirate captain reminds me of you."

"There are pirates?!" Crow couldn't help but let his jaw drop. He all but snatched it out of Norman's hands in his desperation to get lost in the pages.

"You've probably only got a few minutes before the professor gets here, so don't get too attached. You might have to wait until after training." At the mention of the professor, Crow became disgruntled again.

"Why can't you train with me, Norman?" He pleaded. "Why does it have to be him?"

"I'm just your engineer, Crow," he stated solemnly. "They've got me working on other things since there's not much for me to be doing besides your routine checkups. The Professor is the one in charge of you now."

As if summoned, said professor silently made his entrance. His usual frown adorned his wrinkled and gaunt features. Tension seemed to roll off of the professor and collide with the two younger occupants. Norman gave Crow one last firm squeeze on his shoulder before rising to leave the room. It took all his self-control to not glare at the professor on his way out the door. The Professor followed Norman with a cold gaze. Time froze when the Professor uttered the first words Norman had heard from him since their last argument months prior in the surveillance room.

"Why do you continue to treat him like he's a human?"

"Why do you continue to treat him like he's less than one?"


End file.
